Nokia Lumia 928 Reviews Arrive, Inspire Windows Phone Fanboy Rage

At $99 with a two-year contract, you get a decent Windows Phone and all the fanboy rage you could ever want.

Today the tech world collectively unveiled their verdict on Nokia’s Lumia 928, their exclusive Windows Phone flagship for Verizon, and it’s a “good, not great”. Like every big hard landing Nokia takes, the fanboys screamed out of the woodwork, crying foul to professional reviewers who found the phone interesting, but south of the company’s high-water mark.

So what’s up with the phone? It’s $99.99 with a two-year contract, which is right in line with other Windows Phones and cheaper than any Android champion by a note or two. Its camera has pretty good low-light performance with a newly-equipped xenon flash that’s incredibly bright. The industrial design is pretty slick and it has a vibrant AMOLED display. It’s also a carrier-cousin to the successful 920 on AT&T, so what’s not to like?

Well, The Verge’s Chris Ziegler thinks it’s a step down from its 920 predecessor on AT&T with misplaced buttons, the xenon flash never utilized and harsh call quality. CNET largely agreed with call quality and the phone’s lack of shades, another 920 highlight. BGR’s Zach Epstein likes Windows Phone, but states:

In the end, the Lumia 928 is yet another solid Windows Phone that most consumers will probably never bother looking at. It offers precious little that might tear U.S. smartphone users away from their iPhones and Android phones.

The common link to all three of these reviews? A variety of Windows Phone fanboys who feel the phone’s success is so essential to the success of the platform-at-large that they must attack the reviewers who dare say one wrong note about the package. It’s sad to look at, but true. I’d even put the Lumia 928 on a short list of possible replacements when my upgrade arrives in August, but why get stuck with hardware (or a platform) for two years that’s less than optimal? I wish Verizon would stop telling phone manufacturers to make lesser versions of their phones for them, but it appears that nothing’s going to change.